Battleborn Is Getting Three More Heroes, Gearbox Says

The upcoming first-person, multiplayer shooter from Gearbox Software is going to get a few more heroes added to its roster before release. The developers announced that three brand new characters will be joining the existing characters on the roster, and they detailed exactly what makes them so unique.

PC Gamer picked up the news from over on the official Battleborn website where they revealed the three new characters, who are Whiskey Foxtrot, Kelvin and Shayne & Aurox. The first is a big purple soldier with a unique set of weapons called Whiskey Foxtrot. He's labeled as an “offbeat soldier” with “cobbled” together equipment. He was revealed in a gameplay video that you can check out below.

He has a tactical assault rifle that's good for long range shots, a sticky bomb that attaches itself to whatever surface it lands on (including other people), and a scrap cannon that can fire shrapnel from the bottom of the tactical assault rifle. It works like an under-slung grenade launcher... except it fires shrapnel.

The second character they unveiled is Kelvin, an amalgamation of microorganisms that form a giant ice golem. The sentient organisms allow Kelvin to think and feel... and more importantly to be able to kick the living crap out of anything that stands in his way. A gameplay video further reveals how Kelvin plays in Battleborn and what his special abilities are.

His main weapons are his fists, which he can use to pummel opponents up close. He can also do a Hulk-style ground and pound attack to cause area of effect damage.

Another one of his abilities allows him to turn into a gaseous frost mist for a few seconds, which enables him to move faster and freeze anything in the mist's path. His other abilities include biting into an opponent and absorbing their health, as well as being able to create an ice wall to work as a barrier that can both stun enemies and work as an impassable barrier.

Last but not least is Shayne & Aurox, a scrappy punk teenager who is “tethered” to an energy eating monster. They have a number of unique abilities at their disposal and could be one of Battleborn's more unique characters. You can see them in action with the video below.

They have an assortment of interesting moves at their disposal, including a tag team move where Shayne tells Aurox to go to a location and Aurox will unleash an AOE rage attack on anything in the area. Another skill called “Fetch” is similar, only Aurox singles out a specific target and mauls them with his claws. Shayne has a stealth cloak that allows for a brief bit of invisibility, along with a boomerang weapon attack for long-range damage against enemies.

Battleborn will likely have to work hard to separate itself from Blizzard's Overwatch, which is shaping up to be a very easy to get into casual shooter for the masses. Right now both games look similar but Overwatch most certainly has the more memorable characters. Battleborn is going to have to try to win over favor with the gameplay, levels and mechanical depth.

Gearbox will be holding beta tests leading up to the game's release this May for the Xbox One, PS4 and PC. You can learn more about the new and previously announced characters by visiting the official website.